


Follow Me Into the Dark

by Wifiswuxian



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I dont, Implied Luffy/Law, Light Angst, M/M, Sanji Needs a Hug, This is an AU, also, both zoro and sanji are probably ooc, but this is only my second fic in this fandom so im not too worried, he does here, i dont know how he dosent have nightmares, i hate the vinsmokes so much, implied nami/vivi, just like, lil crumbs implying about their relationship, niji is hot but hes a dick, sanji has issues okay, sanji tells the crew about his past before dressrosa, so he gets one, who knows - Freeform, will that help?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wifiswuxian/pseuds/Wifiswuxian
Summary: Five times Zoro called Sanji 'Curly Brows' and the one time he called him 'Sanji'.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 1
Kudos: 64





	Follow Me Into the Dark

**1.**

“How many times do we have to tell you Marimo! Don’t wander off on your own!” Sanji gripped the front of Zoro’s shirt, shaking him slightly as he yelled. 

“Since when do I need your permission to go for a walk, you shitty cook?!” The swordsman easily knocked Sanji’s hands off his shirt, patting down the wrinkles caused by the cook’s actions with a frown. 

“You don’t need my permission, shitty swordsman, what you need is a goddamn babysitter!” Sanji stepped forward, moving even more into Zoro’s personal space. “you cost us three hours on that island and brought the navy right to us! We just filled up on soda and we had to use half of it right away to get away with a coup de burst!” 

“What are you implying, curly brows?” 

At that insult, Sanji’s face flushed in anger and he grabbed Zoro by the shirt again, growling low in his throat. 

“You have a shit sense of direction and if you cared about anyone other than yourself, you’d take someone with you on your so-called walks so you could find your way back to the ship without us having to waste our time looking for you!” Sanji was breathing heavily when he finished. Zoro was completely still as he looked over Sanji’s face. His eyes narrowed slightly at whatever he saw there, and he once again knocked the cook's hands off his shirt. 

Turning and walking away he called “Whatever, Ero-cook” over his shoulder and left. 

Sanji watched him walk away, fists clenched by his sides and face still red with anger. Finally, he retreated from the watching eyes of the rest of the crew to the kitchen. Sitting at the table he brought a hand up and ran it over one of his eyebrows. Closing his eye’s he folded his arms and lay his head on the table, the words ‘curly brows’ being said over and over in his head. 

**2.**

“Ero-Cook, I’m going for a walk” Zoro called up from the shore. Sanji looked over the edge at him and narrowed his eyes. 

“Why are you telling me, I could care less what you do algae head” 

“Last time I went out without a, what did you call it last time…. “tilting his head, he pretended to think about it, “a babysitter? You damn near lost your mind. So, I’m telling you this time so you can come with me on my so-called walk.” Sanji’s face twitched in anger but he just sighed and nodded. 

“Let me get my shopping list and the grocery money” 

What should have been a fifteen-minute walk to the town ended up taking almost forty. By the time they made it to the town Sanji’s face was red with anger and he was pulling Zoro around by the sleeve of his coat. Making Zoro carry everything he bought made most of Sanji’s anger with the swordsman dissipate, though he still made sure to pull him around by his sleeve. 

On their way out of town though, a shop caught Sanji’s eye. The display window had the name of the shop on it as well as its logo, two knives crossed over a cutting board. Sanji pulled Zoro to a stop in front of the window, pointing to a set of four knives he turned to Zoro, a huge smile on his face and all previous anger forgotten. 

“That’s the best chef knife set money can buy Marimo!” he turned back to the window, sighing quietly. 

“Why don’t you go in and buy them then.” Sanji turned to look at him so fast with a raised foot Zoro took a step back to avoid being hit.

“Did you even see the price of them, stupid swordsman? Nami wouldn’t even set foot in that store with how expensive it is!” 

“Who cares what Nami would do, if you want them buy them, curly brows.” Sanji snarled in response and started dragging him back to the ship. The walk was quicker this time, but also silent. Sanji’s anger didn’t dissipate and Zoro refused to be the first to break the silent war they were waging. 

When they arrived back at the ship Sanji tore his hand away from Zoro’s sleeve and wrenched all the grocery bags out of his hands heading up to the kitchen alone to put everything away.

Placing all the bags on the table Sanji took a deep breath and stood still for a second before lighting a cigarette. He went through three cigarettes before he was calm enough to put all the groceries away without the fear of accidentally destroying something. He hid in the kitchen for the rest of the day so he didn’t see Zoro and Nami leave the ship to go back into town. He didn’t see them when they came back either, Nami laden with clothing bags and Zoro with just one bag, emblazoned with two knives crossing over a cutting board. 

**3.**

Zoro was half asleep when he heard the door to the dormitory open and close. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he looked around the room. Luffy was snoring, sprawled over Trafalgar, who was actually asleep, or at least he looked asleep. Chopper was curled up with Usopp, and Brook hung half out of his bunk. Franky was missing which meant it was still sometime before five am as it was his watch night. Weirdly enough, Sanji was missing as well. 

Zoro debated with himself for a few minutes before finally sighing and climbing out of bed. Stepping out on the deck of the Sunny he looked around, trying to spot the stupid cook, but he wasn’t there. 

“Oi! Zoro! You’re not on duty tonight and I just took over for Traffy a few minutes ago” Franky called down from the crow’s nest, “what are you doing up?”. Zoro filed that information about Trafalgar away to think about later. 

“Did you see Ero-cook wander out here a few minutes ago?” 

“I super did!” Franky laughed, “he headed to the kitchen, he didn’t answer me when I called after him though, do you think he was sleepwalking?” Zoro hummed in response and headed off to the kitchen. 

The lights were still off in the kitchen and it took Zoro a second to adjust to the darkness of the room before he could look around. The cook wasn’t at the table or on the couch lining the wall and it wasn’t until he rounded the counter that he found Sanji. 

Sanji sat on the ground with his back against the fridge doors, his knees pulled up to his chest and his hands fisted in his hair. He was shaking slightly and Zoro could see him pulling at his hair. 

Zoro approached the cook slowly, as though he was a wounded animal. Crouching down in front of him, he reached out, and carefully he slowly untangled Sanji’s hands from his hair.

“Oi, oi stupid cook, what are you doing? You’ll end up bald if you keep doing that you know” he said, voice almost a whisper. He kept hold of Sanji’s hands, his thumbs absent mindedly rubbing circles into the backs of them. 

When Sanji finally looked up he had tears running down his face. Letting go of one of his hands, Zoro reached up and wiped some of the tears away with his thumb. 

“What’s with the crocodile tears, Curly Brows?” Sanji frowned and pulling his hand out of Zoro’s he slapped his other hand away from his face. 

“What’s it to you Marimo!” he stood, roughly wiping his cheeks off. “leave me alone.” He stepped around Zoro and stalked out of the kitchen. Zoro stayed crouched in the kitchen for almost a half-hour before finally getting up. He shook his head. Trying to figure out the cook was too much for him to handle this early in the morning. 

When he got back to his bunk Sanji was curled on his side, back to Zoro’s bunk. The swordsman sighed and shrugged before climbing back into bed. 

**4.**

Zoro was having trouble sleeping. Whenever he closed his eyes all he could see was that stupid cook, crying. It had been two days since the incident and he hadn’t been able to get it out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He tried telling himself that it was none of his business but that just made him feel more guilty. Guilty of what he didn’t know but guilty none the less. He had also spent the last two days agonizing about why Sanji had walked out that night. 

It wasn’t like he had done anything different than usual. Except the hand holding…and maybe how he wiped his tears away. Sitting up suddenly he started panicking. Is that why the stupid cook ran away so quickly? Standing he decided he would tell the stupid cook that it was just a heat of the moment thing and then everything would go back to normal. 

As he headed to the stairs that would take him down to the second deck someone grabbed the back of his coat and yanked him backward. 

“Nami!” he squawked as he fell backward, landing on his ass. “what the hell Nami?” he stayed where he landed, too afraid of being pulled back down to risk standing again. She had conveniently pulled him down by her lounge chair, where she had gone back to sun tanning after pulling him down. 

“I could tell you were about to do something stupid.” She adjusted her sunglasses, “it’s like a second sense. An idiot detector if you will.” She sighed loudly and gave him an exaggerated pout, “It can be such a nuisance sometimes”.

“You pulled me down because you thought I was going to do something stupid? Really?”

“Well, weren’t you?”

“I didn’t think I was, but I do now!” He glowered at her, running one of his hands through his hair in agitation. 

“Well why don’t you tell your big sister Nami all about it and maybe I can help!” she sat up, turning to face him and crossing her legs she leaned forward to rest her chin in her palm. 

“First of all, I am older than you,” he frowned, “and second why would you want to help me, what do you get out of this?”

“That’s not what matters Zoro, what matters is you need help with something Sanji related right?” she grinned at him, and the sunlight glinting off her glasses gave her a manic sort of look. “and I’m a little bored so I could use some drama right now. We are only days away from Dressrosa you know. I need to fill my time somehow.” 

Zoro studied her for a moment, debating. What harm could it do to talk to Nami? She did help him out in that stupid knife store at the last island they stopped at. Sighing he shook his head. He may as well. 

“Okay so two nights ago I followed Sanji after he got out of bed and found him in the kitchen. He was curled up kind of and tugging on his hair. Which I haven’t seen him do since Alabasta. So, I pulled his hands away and when he finally looked up he was crying! Ero-Cook was crying Nami! I wiped away some of his tears and asked him why he was crying, and he took his hand out of mine and slapped my other one away! Then he told me to leave him alone and ran off!” crossing his arms Zoro huffed. “I don’t know what I did wrong.” 

Nami sat up a bit and lifted her glasses up and set them on top of her head. Blinking she simply stared at Zoro for a minute. 

“Okay. That’s a lot to unpack at once so let’s start simple. He pulled away after you asked why he was crying?” after Zoro’s nod she continued, “And what exactly did you say to him? Word for word Zoro.” Frowning Zoro crossed his arms again and looked up, as though the sky had the answer for him. 

“I said ‘what’s with the crocodile tears, Curly Brows’. But I don’t think that’s why he ran off! It was probably because I was holding his hand or because I wiped his tears away or something.” Nami snorted and covered her mouth, obviously trying to hold in her laughter. 

“Yeah, there is absolutely no way that’s why he ran off Zoro.” 

“What do you mean by that?!” 

“I mean, Zoro, that Sanji would like that you were comforting him like that. On account of how he feels about you.” Zoro stared at her, opening and closing his mouth trying and failing to find something to say. 

“Do you not remember him almost dying on Fishman island because of all the mermaids Nami? There is no way he feels anything for me.” 

“First of all Zoro, the mermaids were absolutely gorgeous. The only people who didn’t think so were you, Luffy, and Chopper. Chopper because he’s Chopper. Luffy because he’s been in love with Traffy since Sabaody. And you didn’t because not only are you smitten with our resident cook but you're also so very, very gay.” Nami stopped for a second, gauging Zoros reaction, before continuing. “but that’s not the point. You can find other people attractive while still having feelings for someone else, you do know that right? So how Sanji acts around pretty women means nothing”. 

“Okay but that doesn’t help at all Nami.” Reaching out she cuffed him on the side of the head, “hey!” 

“Now you’re just being an idiot. Sanji likes you right? Right. So, if it wasn’t what you were doing it had to be what you said. Do you think it could have been you calling him ‘Curly Brows’ that made him snap at you? Or even the crocodile tears comment?” 

“Maybe the crocodile tears comment. I call him curly brows all the time so I doubt it’s that.” 

“Okay, and does he get angry all the time?”

“Well…. maybe more than he used to I guess.” Zoro conceded, thinking back to all their interactions since Sabaody. 

“Okay good, we are on the same page now.” Clapping she leaned forward, putting her head close to Zoro’s, and lowered her voice, “So maybe stop calling him that and apologize for calling him it the other night? Also maybe throw in an apology about the crocodile tears thing just in case too. And if that wasn’t the reason maybe he’ll open up to you about why he ran off that night after seeing how sincere you’re being” grimacing Zoro nodded. 

Waving her hands in a shooing motion with a quiet ‘go now go, go’ she sent him to talk to Sanji. 

Nami watched him go with a small smile. Pulling her glasses back down over her eyes she turned to the ear that had sprouted on her side table. 

“Do you think he’ll actually apologize or fumble and make it worse?” a hand sprouted next to the ear and held up two fingers. Nami sighed, “yeah I think so too. He absolutely will fuck it up.” As if on cue a loud bang followed by “what the hell was that for Curly Brows” and “get the hell out of my kitchen Marimo!”. 

Nami just looked out over the ocean and thought about how much she wished Vivi was with her to help her deal with her idiot crewmates. Well and also to kiss. Kissing Vivi was nice and she missed it. 

**5.**

Sanji wasn’t sleeping. Everyone could tell but no matter who approached him about it they got turned away with a sharp “I’m fine!”. Even Nami and Robin got snapped at when they tried to approach him about it. 

“Zoro you’re the only one who hasn’t asked him about it so go already!” Nami pushed him forward towards the kitchen while the rest of the crew stood back and made little shooing motions with their hands. Zoro was starting to hate that motion. 

A hand sprouted on the kitchen door, reaching out and opening it. Nami took the opportunity and with one last hard shove to Zoro’s back, she sent him stumbling into the room, the door slamming shut behind him like some kind of omen. 

Sanji was standing at the sink and had turned to look at him. 

“Uhhh….” Zoro rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. Sanji just turned back to the sink and went back to washing whatever was in there. After an awkward minute of doing nothing, Zoro finally sighed and stepped forward. He set his swords on the table and rolled up his sleeves. Pushing Sanji over slightly with his hip he grabbed a plate out of the drying rack along with a towel and started drying. 

“I don’t need your help, shitty swordsman.”

Zoro simply hummed and continued drying and despite his words, Sanji continued handing him dishes to dry. 

“And if you’re here to ask me if I’m okay don’t. I’m fine.” 

“You’re really defensive for someone who’s supposedly fine, Curly Brows” a dish cracked and if looks could kill, Zoro would have dropped dead from the glare Sanji sent him. 

“Get. Out.” 

“No.” 

“Get out of my kitchen Zoro!” Sanji’s voice cracked and he slid to the floor, covering his eyes with one hand and threading the other one into his hair, pulling on it. “Leave me alone.” 

Zoro dropped the dish towel and knelt in front of him. He pulled Sanji’s one hand out of his hair and pulled the other one away from his face. Sanji let out a small sob, weakly trying to pull his right hand out of Zoro’s grip. 

“Oi, Oi I’m sorry I called you Curly Brows, okay?” Zoro sat instead of kneeling and kept a tight grip on Sanji’s hands. “You’ll hurt yourself if you keep pulling on your hair like that. You haven’t done that since we left Alabasta”.

“Why do you care? Go away Zoro!”

Zoro sat stunned for a second. Did he really think Zoro didn’t care?

“Of course I care!” Zoro pulled him forward into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. “Please just tell me what’s wrong so I can help. We all want to help you Sanji. But you have to let us.”

Sanji sat quietly in his arms, not moving for a long time. After what felt like hours Zoro felt him lift his arms and grip the back of Zoro's coat. His voice was muffled when he finally spoke as his face was pressed into Zoro’s neck. 

“I don’t want anyone to hate me for keeping secrets.” 

“Do any of us blame Robin for keeping her secrets? Or Nami for hers?” Zoro reached up and started running his fingers through Sanji’s hair. Continuing when he felt Sanji shake his head, “then how could we ever hate you for the same thing?”. He felt another head shake. 

“Please tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s hurting you.” 

Sanji was silent for a long time again before finally nodding. He sat back, remaining in Zoro’s lap he pulled his hands up to wipe his face. 

“Maybe….maybe can you call the crew in? I don’t want to have to tell this twice.” Zoro nodded, and with little effort he lifted Sanji by the hips, which earned him a squeak and flushed face from the cook, to deposit him gently on the floor in front of him. 

Opening the door to the kitchen he saw both Usopp and Chopper jump away. 

“The Cook wants to talk to all of us.” Everyone but Trafalgar filed into the kitchen. Zoro wanted to tell him it was crew business but the Warlord saved him from having to say anything. 

“I’ll take lookout” and he turned on his heel and started towards the crow’s nest. 

“Thanks, Traffy” Zoro called after him before closing the door. 

Back in the kitchen, he saw that everyone had taken a seat at the table, with Luffy on the Sanji’s left and an empty space on the man’s right. 

Zoro took the empty spot and watched as Sanji twisted his hands together, clearly nervous. 

“You guys remember back in Jaya when I mentioned that I was born in the north blue and not the east?” the group nodded and he continued, “My last name is… was Vinsmoke. Since we met back up after those two years… I don’t know why but I’ve been dreaming of my childhood...” He trailed off, wringing his hands even more. Zoro reached over and took one, rubbing circles on the back with his thumb. They sat in silence for a while, letting Sanji get his thoughts together. 

When he spoke again, he spoke of a childhood where he was raised to be an assassin, of three brothers and a sister who were all-powerful and perfect in every way. Of how he was the failure of the family, born normal. He spoke of the bullying he endured at his brother’s hands only to be tended to in secret by his sister, of the abuse he suffered from his father. He started crying when he spoke of his mother, who would eat anything he made no matter how bad and how, when she died, his father finally got rid of him. How his death was faked, and he was locked up in the dungeons, forced to wear a metal helmet that was only undone so he could eat. He spoke of months of loneliness and that one day, his brothers found him and continued the beatings even then. Finally, he told them how he came to be in the east blue and how his sister had helped him escape. 

Silence descended on the crew and every single one of them could see Luffy’s clenched hands and dark eyes. 

“I’ll kick their asses. All of them.” As he stood Sanji ripped his hand from Zoros and grabbed Luffy by the shirt tugging him back into his seat. Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded with his captain. 

“Luffy please don’t go looking for them. I don’t ever want to see them again. Please Luffy!” everyone around them sighed, Luffy was not one to back down after making a decision. Luffy looked at Sanji for a while, eyes searching his face and Sanji tried one more time. 

“Please Luffy just…just leave it…” His voice was barely above a whisper. Finally, Luffy sighed, crossing his arms. 

“Fine. I won’t go look for them. But!!” he pointed at Sanji “if I ever meet them, I’ll kick their asses!” Sanji smiled, wiping his face he nodded. Luffy nodded in return and leapt up. 

“Usopp! Chopper! Let’s see who can catch the biggest fish!” and he ran out of the room. 

Everyone started filing out after that, but not one of them left before telling Sanji that they too, would be lining up to kick his family’s ass. Eventually, it was just Zoro and Sanji again. Before Sanji could break the silence though, Zoro stood suddenly, his face slowly reddening. 

“I’ll be right back.” Zoro raced to his locker in the men’s dorm. Pulling the bag from the knife shop out he let the locker door slam behind him as he headed back to the kitchen. 

Sanji was where he left him, red-eyed and looking absolutely lost. Sitting beside him again he placed the bag on the table and slid it over. Sanji just stared at it, eyes widening when he saw the logo. 

“Zoro this…” Zoro just shrugged and motioned for him to open it. 

Hands shaking the cook opened the bag and pulled out a long, black box. It took him a couple tries to open the latch on the box but once open he stilled. Four knives sat on black satin padding. Each a different shape and different size. His hand trembled again as he ran his fingers lightly over each knife. 

“Zoro this is the set…this is the set I showed you but how… I can’t… Zoro this is way too expensive why did you buy this?!” he tried closing the box, but Zoro reached out and stopped him. 

“Nami went back with me and helped me haggle them down.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, “besides, it’s not like I’ve spent my allowance on anything. I had some saved up.” He let out a short burst of laughter. “You were right though, about Nami not wanting to go in. She tried to talk me out of buying it while she was haggling the price down.” 

“but why…. why would you buy something for me?” Sanji couldn’t stop his hand from shaking as he ran it over the knives. 

“You’ve been sad. And don’t think I haven’t noticed you using your allowance to buy more groceries for the crew.” Zoro frowned at him. “Just ask Nami to increase the food budget, I know she will.” 

Sanji threw his arms around Zoro. Burying his face in the swordsman’s neck, he smiled, whispering thanks into his neck. 

Smiling, Zoro hummed and ran a hand through the cook’s hair. Pulling Sanji just a little bit closer, he hoped things would get better from here on out.

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh okay so  
> the +1 part will be chapter two  
> I want to finish WCI first and then get to Wano before I start willy nilly playing with cannon. It might take a bit so sorry in advance.  
> Also, I'm really sorry about how OOC Zoro and Sanji are  
> It's rough  
> But they cute so idc. (well...I do a lil)


End file.
